Web materials are a ubiquitous part of daily life. Metal foils, plastic films, plastic bags, paper toweling, bath tissue, facial tissues, thread, wire and rope are all web materials. The manufacturing of these web materials often requires the formation of small discrete rolls of the web material from a large source roll, or parent roll. The formation of the small rolls requires the separation of the web material into smaller lengths corresponding to the quantity of web material desired for the small roll.
The web material as it is provided in the small roll often comprises lines of weakness that are transverse to the length of the web material to facilitate further separation of the web material into discrete segments for use by the consumer. It is desirable to separate the web material at a line of weakness when a first small roll is completed and prior to the beginning of a subsequent small roll. The separation of the material at a line of weakness yields a more uniform appearing roll and more efficient handling of the web material during the processing from a parent roll into small rolls.